Bob Iger, Dwayne Johnson, Anne Hathaway, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Jonas Brothers, and more will be honored at Disney’s highest ceremony this August
Disney has officially unveiled the 2026 Disney Legends Award honorees, and this year’s class is packed with iconic performers, visionary storytellers, creative leaders, and unforgettable voices behind some of the company’s biggest cultural moments.
Announced on March 26, 2026, the honorees will be celebrated during the Disney Legends Award Ceremony at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, taking place August 14–16, 2026 in Anaheim, California. The ceremony itself is set for Sunday, August 16 at 1:30 p.m. PT at the Honda Center, with Ryan Seacrest returning as host.
And yes — if you can’t be there in person, Disney confirmed the event will also stream on Disney+.
The 2026 Disney Legends Honorees
This year’s Disney Legends class includes:
- Chris Berman
- Jerry Bruckheimer
- Susan Egan
- Eric Goldberg
- Anne Hathaway
- Bob Iger
- Kim Irvine
- Dwayne Johnson
- The Jonas Brothers
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Alan Tudyk
It’s a lineup that perfectly captures the scope of Disney’s influence across film, television, music, sports, Broadway, animation, theme parks, and corporate leadership.
A Celebration of Disney’s Past, Present, and Future
The Disney Legends Award is the highest honor bestowed by The Walt Disney Company, recognizing individuals whose talent and contributions have made a lasting impact on the Disney legacy.
This year’s class feels especially meaningful because it spans nearly every corner of the Disney universe.
You’ve got Bob Iger, whose leadership helped shape the modern Disney era. Dwayne Johnson, whose charisma helped make Maui one of Disney’s most beloved modern characters. Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose songwriting elevated films like Moana and Encanto into generational favorites. And Anne Hathaway, whose role as Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries remains one of the most iconic Disney performances of the 2000s.
Then there are the behind-the-scenes legends: Eric Goldberg, one of Disney animation’s most influential artists; Kim Irvine, whose work helped preserve and shape the creative spirit of Disneyland; and Jerry Bruckheimer, the blockbuster producer behind massive Disney-connected franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure.
And for Disney fans who grew up on Disney Channel? The inclusion of the Jonas Brothers is going to hit hard.
Why This Year’s Disney Legends Class Feels So Special
One of the most exciting things about the 2026 honorees is how they represent different generations of Disney fandom.
For some fans, Disney means Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and Susan Egan as the original Belle. For others, it means screaming along to “Burnin’ Up” and rewatching Camp Rock. For animation fans, Alan Tudyk has practically become a hidden MVP of modern Disney voice work, showing up in film after film in hilarious and memorable ways.
And then there’s Chris Berman, whose impact through ESPN reminds us that Disney’s storytelling legacy extends far beyond animation and movies. His selection is a smart recognition of how deeply Disney’s entertainment footprint stretches into sports and live media.
In short, this class doesn’t just celebrate Disney history — it reflects how Disney has evolved over the decades while staying deeply rooted in the people who make the magic possible.
Honoree Highlights
Bob Iger
Few names are more synonymous with modern Disney than Bob Iger. During his leadership, Disney expanded in monumental ways through the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox, while also launching Disney+ and overseeing major international growth.
His Disney Legends honor feels less like a surprise and more like an inevitable milestone.
Dwayne Johnson
From voicing Maui in Moana to becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest global stars, Dwayne Johnson has played a major role in Disney’s recent success. With the live-action Moana on the horizon, this honor arrives at a perfect moment.
Anne Hathaway
For an entire generation, Anne Hathaway is Disney royalty. Her performance as Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries remains one of Disney’s most beloved coming-of-age stories, and her later work in Alice in Wonderland only deepened her Disney connection.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Few creatives have influenced modern Disney music the way Lin-Manuel Miranda has. His work on Moana, Encanto, Mufasa: The Lion King, and beyond helped redefine what Disney soundtracks can be for a new era.
The Jonas Brothers
This is one of the most crowd-pleasing picks in the entire lineup. From Camp Rock to JONAS to their continued return to Disney projects, the Jonas Brothers helped define an entire chapter of Disney Channel history.
Eric Goldberg
Animation fans know just how massive this honor is. Goldberg’s work on characters like the Genie in Aladdin helped shape the visual and comedic style of Disney’s animation renaissance and beyond.
Kim Irvine
Disney Parks fans should be especially thrilled to see Kim Irvine recognized. Her decades-long work with Imagineering — especially her creative stewardship at Disneyland — has left a lasting mark on attractions, aesthetics, and the preservation of park history.
Alan Tudyk
Alan Tudyk has quietly become one of Disney Animation’s most consistent and beloved performers. From Heihei to Valentino to Duke Weaselton, his voice work has become a recurring thread in Disney’s modern animated era.
Ryan Seacrest Returns as Host
Disney also confirmed that Ryan Seacrest will host the ceremony once again, bringing his polished live-event presence to what’s expected to be one of the most emotional and star-studded presentations of D23 weekend.
With tributes, surprise moments, fan-favorite appearances, and Disney-level production, the ceremony is likely to be one of the biggest highlights of the event.
A Legacy Nearly Four Decades in the Making
The Disney Legends program began in 1987, when Fred MacMurray became the very first honoree. With the addition of this year’s class, Disney says 329 individuals will have received the honor.
That legacy includes names like Julie Andrews, Angela Bassett, George Lucas, Steve Jobs, Miley Cyrus, Dick Van Dyke, Robin Williams, Stan Lee, Alan Menken, and many more.
It’s a powerful reminder that Disney Legends isn’t just about celebrity — it’s about lasting impact.
The 2026 Disney Legends class is one of the most well-rounded and emotionally resonant lineups Disney has announced in years.
It celebrates the people who helped build Disney from every angle:
the executives who guided it, the Imagineers who shaped it, the artists who animated it, the performers who brought it to life, and the musicians who gave it its heartbeat.
Whether you’re a fan of Disney animation, Broadway, ESPN, Disney Channel, blockbuster movies, or the parks, there’s someone in this year’s class whose work has probably meant something to you.
And that’s exactly what makes the Disney Legends Award so special.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event takes place August 14–16, 2026 in Anaheim, California, with the Disney Legends Award Ceremony happening on Sunday, August 16.
One thing’s for sure: this is going to be one for the Disney history books.
